MBB office doesn't matter for exits

Wanted to share an observation from my few years in consulting after exiting and watching many of my peers leave.

Yes, smaller regional offices (Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis, etc.) are easier to get an offer than the big ones (NY, SF, Chicago, etc.). It will not impact exits (PE, tech, F500, etc.) at all at the end of the day though, so just choose wherever you'd like to live. 

 

Based on the insights from Wall Street Oasis, it's clear that while the location of an MBB office might influence the initial recruitment process, it generally does not significantly impact exit opportunities. Here are a few points to consider:

  1. Office Location and Recruitment: Smaller regional offices like Atlanta, Detroit, and St. Louis may have a slightly easier recruitment process compared to larger hubs like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. This could be due to less competition and lower application volumes in these smaller markets.

  2. Impact on Exit Opportunities: Despite the differences in recruitment, the exit opportunities across different MBB offices tend to be consistent. Whether you're in a smaller regional office or a major city, the prestige and training provided by MBB firms equip you with skills and a network that are highly valued across industries like private equity, tech, and Fortune 500 companies.

  3. Choosing an Office: Ultimately, the decision on which office to choose should align with personal preferences regarding where to live and work-life balance considerations. The impact on future career moves into industries such as PE, tech, or large corporations remains relatively unaffected by this choice.

This perspective aligns with general discussions and experiences shared by many professionals in the consulting field, indicating that the skills and networks developed at MBB firms are highly transferable and valued universally, irrespective of the office location.

Sources: Wharton, Harvard, and Columbia, Impact of recession on MBB's, Checking in 6 years later [IB to MBB transition], Some Thoughts on Managing Multiple Offers (Consulting / MBB), Some Thoughts on Managing Multiple Offers (Consulting / MBB)

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Are you sure that it's easier to get into the small regional offices? Genuinely curious, I hear a lot about this and get this question a lot. I feel like the smaller offices have less competition but also less spots, and that it might mostly even it out. Also suggests that the interviewers in smaller offices have lower standards, which I'm not sure I buy either.

 

Qui sed dolorum expedita aspernatur sint id suscipit dolorem. Dolor dolor omnis at vero mollitia. Neque et id ut minus minus ex. Et ut voluptas consequatur.

Et non recusandae et velit ut ducimus quasi. Illum ea corporis voluptatem quasi non temporibus quaerat. Beatae iure ea perferendis eius qui quisquam aut.

Odio reprehenderit neque molestiae molestias voluptates voluptas non. Quae sed sint optio quas nemo dignissimos optio et. Pariatur et debitis quis doloremque dolores in. Et quibusdam voluptas molestias doloribus voluptatem. Ut doloremque nemo aspernatur quaerat adipisci ducimus recusandae. Placeat facilis numquam necessitatibus aut suscipit tempore.

Ut accusantium quos minima sint qui voluptatem sed pariatur. Non odio sunt dolorem alias minima dolores. Ut velit debitis quis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • Cornerstone Research 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.7%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $368
  • Principal (25) $277
  • Director/MD (55) $270
  • Vice President (47) $246
  • Engagement Manager (100) $226
  • Manager (153) $170
  • 2nd Year Associate (158) $140
  • Senior Consultant (331) $130
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (108) $130
  • Consultant (588) $119
  • 1st Year Associate (539) $119
  • NA (15) $119
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (148) $116
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (346) $103
  • Associate Consultant (166) $98
  • 1st Year Analyst (1050) $87
  • Intern/Summer Associate (190) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (552) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”